The invention relates to a shaving apparatus with a drivable lower cutter with which any one of at least two hole configurations with different functions can be brought into active connection, said at least two hole configurations being constituents of at least one upper cutter for the shaving apparatus, and with information means which are formed by characteristics which are associated with a respective hole configuration, provide information on the function of the hole configuration concerned, and can inform a user of the shaving apparatus as to which hole configuration is actively connected to the lower cutter.
The invention also relates to an upper cutter for a shaving apparatus, which upper cutter has at least one hole configuration with a particular function.
A shaving apparatus of the kind set forth in the first paragraph and having an upper cutter of the kind set forth in the second paragraph has been marketed by Applicant as a type HP 6320 and is, therefore, known. The known shaver comprises an upper cutter in the form of a perforated cutter foil which has two different hole configurations intended for different functions, that is, for shaving different parts of a human body. In the known shaver the perforated cutter foil is held adjustably in the shaver; on one side wall of the shaver there is provided a slide button via which one of the two hole configurations can be selectably brought into active connection with the lower cutter of the known shaver. The known shaver is provided, immediately next to the slide button on the housing, with two visually perceptible symbols which serve as information means which symbolize those body areas which should be shaved using the hole configuration of the perforated cutter foil provided for this purpose. The information means, i.e. in this case the symbols, are thus provided at the area of the shaver housing of the known shaver. In practice it has been found that relatively many female users of the known shaver pay little or no attention to the symbols provided at the area of the shaver housing, with the consequence that users of the known shaver perform a shaving process using a hole configuration in a body area for which the hole configuration selected via the slide button was not intended and, consequently, is not suitable. This may lead to undesirable consequences, for example, an unsatisfactory shaving result or undesirable skin irritation.
In connection with the above known device, reference can also be made to patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,927 A in which, however, the above symbols, provided next to the said slide button at the area of the shaver housing, are not discussed.
Furthermore, with regard to information means for information on a hole configuration in use, reference can also be made to patent document DE 1 179 830 B1. This patent document describes information means which are also provided at the area of a housing wall of the shaver housing and are formed by legible markings which also constitute characteristics for information on the function of hole configurations.
It is an object of the invention to eliminate the problems occurring with the known shaver as described above and to provide an improved shaving apparatus. The invention also has for its object to provide an upper cutter improved in this respect for a shaver.
In order to achieve the above object, a shaving apparatus according to the invention is provided with features such that a shaving apparatus according to the invention can be characterized as follows:
A shaving apparatus with a drivable lower cutter with which any one of at least two hole configurations with different functions can be brought into active connection, said at least two hole configurations being constituents of at least one upper cutter for the shaving apparatus, and with information means which are formed by characteristics which are associated with a respective hole configuration, provide information on the function of the hole configuration concerned, and can inform a user of the shaving apparatus as to which hole configuration is actively connected to the lower cutter, the characteristic associated with a hole configuration being provided immediately in the area of the hole configuration and hence on the upper cutter with the hole configuration.
To achieve the above object furthermore, an upper cutter according to the invention is provided with features according to the invention such that an upper cutter according to the invention can be characterized as follows:
An upper cutter for a shaving apparatus, which upper cutter has at least one hole configuration with a particular function, the upper cutter being provided for each hole configuration, with a characteristic symbolizing the function of the hole configuration.
By providing the features according to the invention, the characteristics serving as information means are provided on a shaver according to the invention in a simple manner and with simple means, that is, at that point of the shaver which is checked most frequently and most reliably by a user when selecting a desired hole configuration, that is, at the area of the hole configuration selected for the subsequent use itself. Thus, an incorrect choice of a hole configuration is very likely prevented, so that the disadvantages of the choice of an undesirable and hence unsuitable hole configuration are avoided.
A shaving apparatus according to the invention can be constructed so that one of several different upper cutters can be connected to this apparatus at option, each upper cutter having only a single hole configuration and hence only one function which is determined by the hole configuration concerned and hence only one perceptible characteristic associated with the hole configuration concerned as the information means. Such an upper cutter can, for example, be formed by a perforated cutter foil. It can, however, also be formed by a cutter plate with hair passage openings; this cutter plate can be designed for co-operation with a lower cutter which can be driven so as to rotate about an axis as is known from so-called rotary shavers which have been marketed by Applicant for decades. For a shaver according to the invention, however, it has proved to be very advantageous if the upper cutter is adjustably retained in known manner relative to the lower cutter and has at least two hole configurations, and if the upper cutter is provided with a number of characteristics acting as information means, which is equal to the number of hole configurations. Such a design has proved to be particularly advantageous in view of maximum simplicity of use and also of safely informing the user of the hole configuration concerned.
For an apparatus according to the invention it has also proved to be particularly advantageous if the upper cutter has three hole configurations, one of which is provided and designed for shaving in the armpit area, a second for shaving in the bikini area and a third for shaving in the leg area, and if the characteristics associated with the three hole configurations are parts of a diagram representing a human body. This ensures particularly easily understood and unmistakable information for the user.
In view of the choice of possible characteristics as information means it should be noted, however, that instead of a diagram showing the human body, other visually perceptible symbols can be used, for example, individual letters or word abbreviations but also a marking as known from the cited patent document DE 1 179 830 B1. However, characteristics perceptible with other sensory organs can also be used.
For a shaver according to the invention a design can be selected such that the characteristic associated with a hole configuration is provided next to the hole configuration on the upper cutter concerned. It has, however, proved to be particularly advantageous if the characteristic associated with a hole configuration is provided within the hole configuration. This offers the advantage that, for example, a visually perceptible characteristic for a hole configuration particularly clearly catches the eye of the user when looking at the hole configuration selected.
For a shaver according to the invention a visually perceptible characteristic can be provided on an upper cutter in various ways. It has, however, proved to be particularly advantageous if the characteristics are produced by printing on or etching of the upper cutter.
The advantages listed above in connection with a shaver apply accordingly for the various alternative embodiments of an upper cutter according to the invention.
The aspects listed above and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter and will be explained on the basis thereof.